Working to Pass Bipartisan, Common Sense Gun Control Legislation

As the debate over guns and our constitutionally-guaranteed Second Amendment rights continues, what is often overlooked are common sense actions that many advocates on both sides of this issue agree on. There are practical steps that both the public and gun owners recognize as necessary to keep firearms out of the hands of those who should not own or use them. Tulsi is working to increase school security, shore up and reform our mental healthcare system, close the gun show and online loopholes, ban military-style assault weapons, and require background checks on anyone seeking to purchase a gun. She has cosponsored legislation like the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act, the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Act, Keeping Guns from High Risk Individuals Act, and the Support Assault Firearms Elimination and Reduction for our Streets Act.

"The horrific tragedy that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School left 17 dead, at least 14 injured, and a community and nation in mourning. My heart breaks for the victims, students, and teachers, for the parents who dropped their children off at school not knowing it would be their last goodbye, and for the American people, many concerned about whether or not something like this could happen at their child’s school. There are tough questions that must be answered about the shooter, including why many red flags that were raised about him previously did not prevent his ability to acquire an AR-15 and a high volume of ammunition. But we don’t have to wait for answers to these questions for Congress to pass legislation already supported by a majority of Americans, like universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole, and reinstating a federal ban on military-style assault weapons. The stakes are too high to allow partisan politics to get in the way of common sense change.” -Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

Banning Bump Stocks
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is an original cosponsor of bipartisan legislation to ban the manufacture, sale, and use of “bump stocks” and similar devices. The legislation would also make violation of the law a felony and allow for increased penalties for offenders through a review of federal sentencing guidelines. "Bump stocks” are devices that use a semi-automatic weapon’s recoil to allow rapid fire at a rate mirroring that of a fully automatic weapon — 400 to 800 rounds a minute. These devices are legal, unregulated, widely available, and can be purchased online for as little as $100. Their sole purpose is to exacerbate the rate of fire.

Closing the Sutherland Springs Background Check Loophole
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is the lead Democrat on bipartisan legislation to close the loophole exploited by the Sutherland Springs, Texas shooter and ensure that any individual convicted of domestic violence – whether it is in criminal or military court – cannot legally purchase a firearm. The Domestic Violence Loophole Closure Act would require the Department of Defense (DoD) to report any member of the Armed Forces convicted of domestic violence offenses to the NICS within three days of conviction. If the DoD fails to submit the required information then it will be required to submit to Congress a written notice on the failure to submit.

“Keeping firearms out of the hands of those convicted of domestic violence is already the law of the land and must be enforced across the board. The shooting in Sutherland Springs exposed a glaring hole in Department of Defense reporting requirements that made it possible for the shooter to purchase a gun, even though a military court found him guilty of domestic violence while serving in the Air Force. Our bipartisan legislation increases transparency and mandates reporting of service members convicted of domestic violence to the FBI-administered National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which would prevent them from purchasing or owning firearms. Congress must act and pass this commonsense measure to help improve the safety of our communities." -Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

Preventing Terrorists from Buying Firearms
In 2016, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation to deny the sale of firearms to those on the No-Fly list. The bipartisan Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act would give the United States Attorney General the ability to:

Prevent individuals on the “No-Fly” and Selectee lists from legally purchasing firearms and explosives

Create a process for American citizens and lawful permanent residents to appeal a denial in the Federal Court

Protect ongoing counter-terrorism investigations by giving the Attorney General the discretion to allow gun sales to go forward for individuals covered by this Act

Implement a five-year "look-back” provision to immediately notify the Attorney General and federal, state, and local law enforcement if anyone who is or was entered into the broader Terrorist Screening Database attempts to buy a gun from a licensed dealer

Video of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Discusses House Sit In on Gun Control with Hawaii News Now- 6/23/16

More on Working to Pass Bipartisan, Common Sense Gun Control Legislation

After a mass shooting that killed 17 people at a southern Florida high school, legislators and residents in Hawaii are reassessing the effectiveness of state and federal gun laws.

Koloa resident Karen Cos said it should be more difficult for people to obtain guns, not withstanding the Second Amendment.

“I don’t think that anybody who wants to own a gun should be able to get a gun,” she said. “There has to be a reason that they can carry a gun. To end gun violence, it needs to be more difficult for guns to be obtained.”

“The horrific tragedy that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School left 17 dead, at least 14 injured, and a community and nation in mourning. My heart breaks for the victims, students, and teachers, for the parents who dropped their children off at school not knowing it would be their last goodbye, and for the American people, many concerned about whether or not something like this could happen at their child’s school.

Washington, DC—Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) and Rep. Scott Taylor (VA-02) introduced bipartisan legislation (H.R. 4365) today that will close the loophole exploited by the Sutherland Springs, Texas shooter and ensure that any individual convicted of domestic violence – whether it is in criminal or military court – cannot legally purchase a firearm. The Domestic Violence Loophole Closure Act would require the Department of Defense (DoD) to report any member of the Armed Forces convicted of domestic violence offenses to the NICS within three days of conviction.

Washington, DC—Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) today supported bipartisan legislation as an original cosponsor to ban the manufacture, sale, and use of “bump stocks” and similar devices. The legislation would also make violation of the law a felony and allow for increased penalties for offenders through a review of federal sentencing guidelines.